On the move

This site has moved. The new site is http://amyreinink.wordpress.com. While you're clicking, visit my Washington Running Examiner site, too!

A hospital for iPods

After weeks of hemming and hawing, wondering whether my 3-year-old, first-generation iPod Nano might magically heal itself, I have sent it to what I hope is the equivalent of a hospital for iPods. A helpful comment on this blog earlier this week led me to Milliamp, which promises to replace your iPod's battery — something I hadn't even known was possible — for about $50, once you factor in shipping and other random fees. This is a heckuva lot better than the 10 percent discount on a new Nano promised my Apple if I traded in my old one.

Though I was originally sketched out by the directive to send my iPod to San Antonio, Texas, for the operation, I realized this morning that my iPod is basically worthless to me as it is. It lasts maybe 20 minutes now before crapping out, and I'm going to need a LOT more than 20 minutes to cover 13.1 miles in a couple weeks. Plus, I found stories in papers like the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The San Antonio Business Journal to confirm that this is a real business with a storefront and employees and Chamber of Commerce membership.

I FedExed it this morning. Milliamp promises a one-day turnaround once it arrives in San Antonio, we my hope is that I'll have it back by March 21. Keep your fingers crossed, would you?

Who's hungry?

I know. Stupid question. You're a runner. Of course you're hungry. When runs get longer and appetites get larger, eating can practically become a second workout each day. Who hasn't heard about carbo-loading before a big race? And have you seen those post-race spreads?

The thing is, for all the eating we do, most of us struggle to find the perfect pre-run snack or post-run meal. My friend Meredith, a lifelong swimmer who's just getting back into running, asked for some suggestions for pre- and post-run snacks.

We'll save long-run fuel, with its complicated protein-carb ratios and 30-minute refueling windows, for another day. Same goes for Gu, which shall not be addressed in this blog post. The beauty of eating before and after a shorter run — somewhere in the 30-minute to hour range — is that you can pretty much just go with whatever feels good in your stomach. The hard part is, it can be tricky to find a snack that feels good in your stomach once it's all jostled around from running.

My favorite pre-run snacks, which I usually consume an hour or two before running:
A Luna bar (or Fiber One bar, or Kashi GoLean bar — you get the idea)
A cup of yogurt with a little Fiber One
A fruit salad with bananas, strawberries, blueberries, lemon juice, vanilla and Splenda
A low-fat muffin (I'll include my pre-marathon chocolate-chip banana bread recipe below)

After a run, it's all about what seems appealing after the aforementioned jostling. The single best post-run snack I've found is chocolate milk. I first tried it after reading this amazing study in which researchers found that plain ol' chocolate milk helped a group of male cyclists recover their glycogen stores faster than Gatorade, a high-protein recovery drink and other fancy, expensive brews. It supposedly has the perfect ratio of simple carbs to protein. I dunno if that's the case, but it's REALLY yummy. If the end of a run coincides with dinnertime, like after a Tuesday-night Pacers run, I almost always make a quesedilla, or something else that's quick to prepare and easy to digest.

Speaking of easy to digest (not to mention easy to eat several servings of in one sitting), I find that this chocolate-chip banana bread hits the spot just about any time: pre-run, post-run, sans-run ...

2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c sugar (you can substitute Splenda for some of this, if you like)
1/4 c applesauce
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c egg substitute
1/3 c plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine wet ingredients and sugar; set aside. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry mixture to wet stuff, mixing gently (or on a low speed) until the batter is just moist. Add chocolate chips. Bake in 8 1/2 X 4 1/2-inch loaf pan covered with cooking spray for roughly 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.

Got any favorite running snacks? Share 'em by posting a comment below.

Taking my medicine

Imagine a small child, lips pursed, nose wrinkled, eyes tearing up, head actually moving backward in disgust, as her mom tries to give her a spoonful of nasty-tasting medicine.

This is roughly the attitude with which I set out to do my speed workout this morning.

There are only two training weekends left before the National Half Marathon, and I've committed myself (in my head, at least) to running part of the course on a 10-miler next weekend. Which left me with only one real choice today: hit the treadmill, hard, for one last speed workout.

Oh, the excuses I thought of! I told myself it was too beautiful and sunny to run inside. Then, I told myself I'd have to find a good speed workout course outside. Then, it was back to Plan A, but I told myself I should mix things up and find a new treadmill workout. Then, after sucking it up and putting on my running clothes to head downstairs, I watched at least 15 minutes of "Balls of Fury" with Steve to stall even longer.

Finally, I sucked it up, made like a Nike ad and just did it.

Guess what? It was great! The kind of great that makes you wonder if the treadmill needs to be recalibrated or something. I had set out to do four one-mile repeats — one more than my standard three — at something like 7:30-minute-mile pace. I ended up doing more like an average of 7:15-minute miles, with long spurts of 6:58-minute-mile pace (superhuman for me, if I have to do more than one mile!). And check this: My iPod ran out of juice after the first three mile repeats. I went upstairs, recharged it so it would last another seven minutes, then WENT BACK DOWN and did my last one.

As hard as it was getting off the couch today, the feeling of "I ran four fast miles this morning, I can take on the world" is totally worth it. This all leaves me wondering why we spend so much time and energy resisting things that make us better, healthier and stronger.

Finding a sense of community

I've always embraced the solo nature of running. I love being able to head out for a long run to clear my head, loosen my muscles and enjoy some peace and quiet. I've never understood runners who do it for the sense of community — until now.

After a fun, chatty run with two Pacers friends last night, we all headed to Eggspectation in downtown Silver Spring for a late-night happy hour. The restaurant gave us happy-hour prices on drinks, and let a group of almost 20 sweaty, red-faced runners occupy its back room for a couple hours.

It was SO much fun. I talked to a 5-minute miler training for the Boston Marathon; a 10-minute miler who ran 5 miles to work yesterday; and a group of runners planning to do one of those crazy all-night, 178-mile running relays from Upstate New York to the Bronx (click here to check out the Ragnar Relay series); a former college runner who had a pulmonary embolism last fall who's planning to run the National Marathon March 21 (you KNOW I'll be thinking of her when I get tired in the half). I also saw a running friend who's been injured, who came just to enjoy the feeling of being in a community of runners. Which now, I TOTALLY get.

A fast, cold run provides an ego boost

I had a fabulous run last night with Pacers. We did the hill route that haunted me in my first weeks in Maryland, and it was hard in the best way possible.

Only a handful of runners showed up on account of the blistering cold. It was chilly — something like 20 degrees when we left —but nowhere nearly as bad as I expected. Since there were so few of us, we decided to all go out in the same amorphous pace group. I knew ahead of time I was one of the slower runners in attendance, but all the speedsters in the group seemed content to just chat and take it easy.

About a third of the way through the run, it occurred to me that the majority of the runners had fallen back behind me and two fast dudes I had no business running with. Then, one of the fast dudes fell behind, leaving me and my new friend, Marco, who seemed to barely be out of breath as we chugged up the rolling hills.

As it turns out, Marco is also training for the race on March 21. He's doing the full marathon, and is attempting to beat his previous time of 3:30. Despite being clearly out of my league, he waited patiently as my gasping, expectorating self caught up to him, and carried me through what proved to be a few very fast miles for me. We finished the 5.39-mile route in 43 minutes — about 8-minute miles (and did I mention it was hilly?). I left Pacers feeling like I'd just won the Boston Marathon.

In other news: My fear of commitment has led me to miss yet another race opportunity. I'd hoped to run the Run to Register 10K to get my spot in the Marine Corps Marathon a couple days early. Registration for the Run to Register 10K is closed, leaving me stuck duking it out with the writhing masses online the morning of April 1. (Sigh). But I took it as a lesson and officially threw my hat in the ring for the George Washington Parkway 10-miler in April.

Finally, just wanted to pass along a tool suggested by my friend Kaveh. It's the McMillan Running pace calculator, and you can use it to figure out a goal time for a new distance based on your time for a past race. I've used a less comprehensive version (see the link on the right side of this page) to set unrealistic goal times and to waste hours online. I've also used it to stretch my brain to accommodate exciting new goals after a good race — say, to set a more ambitious half-marathon goal after a solid 10K performance.

The sacrifice of the long-distance runner

Screw loneliness. As I enter the last month of training for the half marathon, it's the sacrifice that seems the hardest thing to manage about long-distance running.

It's not self-sacrifice I'm talking about so much as the sacrifice of those around us. Every Runner's World feature about "regular" marathoners includes some sort of shout-out to the marathoner's neglected spouse and kids. My friend Whitney has blogged about her husband biking beside her on 20-mile runs through 17-degree weather.

Today, I'm nominating Steve for sainthood for giving up a ski trip to Tahoe to give me a better chance at running my best on March 21.

Cliff's Notes version: We were tossing around the idea of an impromptu ski at Lake Tahoe. The only week our schedules would accommodate the trip was March 13 to March 20. For weeks, I felt conflicted about shoving my feet in ski boots, skiing hard, flying cross-country and generally wearing out my body leading up to race day on March 21. I'd ended up putting so many qualifications on the trip ("I could ski hard for half the day, then do groomers in the afternoon!" or: "I could drug myself up for the red-eye flight home to make sure I get a good night's rest!") it hardly seemed worth it for me. Note: That's for me, not for Steve.

Here's the thing about this: It means I'm taking the race seriously. Which feels kinda funny for a middle-of-the-packer for whom there's no prize money on the line, no promise of greatness, only a T-shirt and a finisher's medal. And, you know, the whole sense-of-personal-achievement thing.

Steve TOTALLY got it. Among other things, I told him that if we didn't go, but I had a crappy run anyway, I'd feel really bad. His response: "Everyone has bad running days. You can't control those. What we can control is whether we take a trip that's going to affect the way you run."

Awww.

So we're not going to Tahoe this year. But don't cry for us — we have two ski weekends left at Whitetail, and are planning on a trip to Monterrey in May, timed for my birthday. This new schedule lets us spend more time with the friends we're visiting out there and gives us a chance to do a bunch of things we probably wouldn't have time for in the winter, like visiting a winery or six.

To take the self-applied pressure off myself, I'm employing a trick suggested by my friend Michelle. She suggests making three goals: One that's pie-in-the-sky crazy-good, one that's realistically good, and one backup goal you'd still be OK with achieving. My three numbers at this point: I'd be cool with coming in under two hours (or really, just finishing).I'd like to beat my previous best time of 1:56. And in my crazy-good running dreams ... well, that one's a secret.

Snow day = the world's funnest cross-training

A few pictures from our favorite form of cross-training: skiing! We hit the road to Whitetail as soon as we woke up to fresh snow outside (and heard the snow-day declaration from Steve's work). We volunteer there on the Mountain Safety Team every other weekend, and while we truly have fun every time we work, it was also cool to be on the mountain without any responsibilities at all. We left around 8:30 a.m., skied all day — including at least a dozen bump runs — and got home around 7:30 p.m., sore, tired ... and exhilarated.

Next up: a Pacers run tomorrow night. Let's hope the snow we enjoyed on the slopes has been cleared from the roads by then!

The day the music (or at least my iPod) died

I've been in denial for a while now.

For months, my trusty iPod has been running out of juice after shorter and shorter periods of time, leaving me alone with the sound of my heavy breathing and plodding footfalls. Yesterday, after charging overnight, it died 30 minutes into a 10-mile run. The time has come to let it go.

The good people at the iPod store tell me these are my options: Trade in my old one for a discounted new Nano for about $126, which is out of my immediate price range; or poke around and try to find a "refurbished" one for around $70. The store, of course, did not have any refurbished Nanos, and did not seem optimistic I'd find one. And of course, replacing the battery would cost more than either option.

Has anyone dealt with the death of an iPod before? If so, suggestions for how to replace it without seriously breaking the bank would be MUCH appreciated.

NEW PLAYLIST ALERT!

We saw the surprisingly excellent movie "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" this week, and as the title suggests, it actually does come with a really awesome playlist — er, soundtrack.

Some of the songs will put you to sleep, so stick with the top four, supplemented with some randoms from elsewhere on my iPod. This includes a few oldies but goodies from Vampire Weekend, inspired by my discovery of "Ottoman," which is on the Nick and Norah soundtrack. As usual, post your own suggestions below if you've got 'em — I'm always looking for sweet new running tunes.

Lover - Devendra Banhart
Ottoman - Vampire Weekend
Riot Radio - The Dead 60s
Very Loud - Shout Out Louds
Walcott - Vampire Weekend
Mudhouse - Bob Schneider
M79 - Vampire Weekend
Death to Los Campesinos! - Los Campesinos!
A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Get Back - Ludacris
So What - Pink (thanks for helping me rediscover this one, Sarah!)
Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen

Hitting the trails

Two super-cool new trail runs to pass along for Montgomery County runners:

>One area running coach told me recently that the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath, which stretches 184.5 miles through Maryland and Virginia, gets "more crowded than 270 at rush hour" on nice days. That isn't such a problem this time of year, but it's still worth checking out the Gold Mine Trail, which climbs four leafy, rocky miles through the woods above the Towpath in Potomac. The trail starts just behind the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center (11710 MacArthur Boulevard in Potomac), and spotlights one of my favorite parts of living in this area: the painstakingly preserved history. It takes its name from a functioning gold mine dug in the 1930s! It's less than a five-minute drive to the Beltway, yet seeing the falls (yes, the visitors center takes its name from actual waterfalls) and experiencing the awesome soltitude of the trail made me feel like I was on some back trail in Shenandoah National Park.

>The 6-mile Cabin John Trail through Cabin John Regional Park (7777 Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda) is good for a directionally-challenged runner like me, because frequent road-crossings allow for regular "am I where I'm supposed to be" checks. It starts just beyond the park’s funky Locust Grove Nature Center, which was originally a warming hut for a commercial toboggan operation.

Twisting my ankle in Rock Creek Park just before New Year's humbled me about trail-running in my little, lightweight Brooks shoes, so I actually walked these routes, with some bouts of running where the trail looked nice and clear. But I'll definitely be back in the spring, and those with sure footing or sturdy trail-running shoes should try these trails now.

As for me, Steve and I will be joining the Pacers fun-run gang on the 5-mile Alaska loop tonight.

Fear descends

Race day is three weeks from Sunday, meaning the end is in sight.

Clearly, I'm terrified.

It's not that I think I won't finish – I ran a half marathon with a torn hip labrum, albeit slowly, so I feel pretty good about my ability to run through pain. It's the weight of the expectations that have silently been piling up in my mind. It's the only possible downside to training going well: I may say I don't care how I finish, but if I'm being honest, if I don't post a time for this race that reflects all my hard training runs, I'm going to be very, very disappointed.

Complicating matters is the fact that we're pondering a ski trip to Lake Tahoe the week before the half marathon on March 21. It's the only week that makes sense to take this trip, and it's coming together beautifully so far. I know — everyone feels really, really sorry for me for having to be in this VERY difficult situation. Tahoe would be — will be — awesome, but I'm faced with the fact that there's no way I can ski hard for a few days, take a cross-country flight and hop off and run a perfect half marathon.

Enter the backup race. I've added the Pacers Running Festival Half Marathon on May 10 to my race list. I'll still run my heart out on March 21, but I'll know I have another chance if I don't meet my own mounting expectations.

Training log for the day: Historical Linden/Seminary 5.1 mile loop, which is quickly becoming my favorite Pacers route, last night; swim day today.

Cold-weather tips from the (truly) frosty north

It's cold, and I'm tired.

How many of us have used this as an excuse to stay inside over the past couple weeks? The low here could drop to 22 degrees tonight, which means I need some extra motivation to make me get out the door to my group run tonight. So I asked my friend Amy Sanders, who moved to Minnesota recently from Gainesville,. Fla., for some tips. In Minneapolis, forecasters are predicting single-digit temperatures this week, with HIGHS in the 20s on some days. Thinking of her heading out the door in that weather, with her YakTrax and balaclava, makes me feel like an idiot for even thinking about skipping.

Here's a list of ten tips from Amy for coping with the cold:

1) YakTrax can be a life-saver (or at least spare you from breaking a leg) when it is slippery outside. And, they work a bit better than the old-fashioned "screws in the bottom of your shoes" method.

2) A&D ointment does wonders for chapped skin on your face. You can find it in the baby aisle at the store, and I swear by it to keep my lips from peeling all winter long.

3) Base-layer clothes are essential. They don't have to be expensive, but they do have to be the kind that wick wetness away. Then add a warmth layer and a wind-blocking layer.

4) On really cold days, when a hat alone won't do, buy a balaclava. They cover your head, neck and ears at once. And, when you get to hot, you can push it down just around your neck like a scarf.

5) I swear by good socks in the winter. If you feet get wet or cold or both, you are done for. Typically I do at least two layers if it is below freezing: one to keep my feet warm and one to keep them dry in case I hit any snow.

6) Good stretching before and after is even more important when it is really cold. I try to get warm before I head outside with some jumping jacks or running in place so my muscles stay loose.

7) You have to keep the hands warm. I have a friend who swears by socks instead of gloves or mittens. She says they keep her warm and she puts on layers so she can take them off in layers if she gets too hot.

8) Waterproof your shoes. Again, running in the winter is all about staying dry to stay warm. Buy a can of the waterproofing spray at your local sporting goods store and apply several coats.

9) If you run with dogs, remember to think about them too. I won't let my guys out the door when it is below 20 unless they have something to keep them warm (besides their fur). And, the chemicals for snow removal can irritate their paws, so I am careful where I let them run.

10) Some days you just have to call it a day. Either hit the gym or take a rest if it is too cold outside for your personal preference. I call it quits around 15-20 degrees, but I have friends who run until it is zero. It just depends on your body. There is no shame in not running outside because it is too cold for you -- just don't use it as an excuse to be lazy.

Run like a yak

This blog is about running on ice.

No, silly, not the Billy Joel song.

I'm talking about the nasty stuff that shellacs sidewalks and coats roads this time of year, sending even the most hard-core runners inside to endure treadmill workouts.

We're enduring some cold temps in Washington this week, but it's nothing compared to the snow, ice AND cold my friend Kaveh is dealing with. Kaveh, who moved to New Hampshire recently after growing up and going to school in Florida, asked for some ice advice in a comment a few posts ago, and here's my best attempt at providing some tips.

First, find some snow. Yeah, I know — we usually avoid snowy trails, sidewalks, etc. But snow is slow rather than slippery, meaning a) you'll be able to run outside without fearing death, and b) you'll get an extra-hard workout, like running on the beach instead of the road.

Second — and this is revolutionary to me — put screws in your shoes. I vaguely remember some people in Boulder doing this so they could continue to run on the trails in the winter. You can make your own using this how-to. You can also buy pre-made versions called Yaktrax, which I'm tempted to buy myself just so I can tell people I'm going running in my Yaktrax. According to the Web site, you'll want to check out the Yaktrax Pro, designed for "a mail carrier, runner, outside worker or someone who faces winter conditions on a daily basis." It strikes me that regular ol' cleats should work, too, though they may not offer the ankle support you'd need to slog through the wintry ugliness.

This all sounds like a lot of work, which leads me to one last tip: Opt for fewer, longer runs to make each time you suit up worth it.

Got any running-on-ice tips? Please, please post 'em below!

Incidentally, Kaveh passed along a good cold-weather tip for those of us dealing with the chill in milder climates: Wear gloves, even when you don't think you need 'em. This makes perfect sense to me, as my hands are usually the first thing to get cold.

As for my training log, I'm getting ready to do the stationary bike for a late lunch break. After skiing all weekend, my legs need a low-impact wakeup call before running again. Something embarrassing: My glutes are STILL sore from a tough lifting workout on Thursday and a speedy (for me) 8-miler on Friday!

More tips for coping with cold (and colds)

It's cold and flu season, which conveniently coincides with "it's too cold to run" season. My friend Jen posed some questions yesterday about how to deal with this fact, so I'm posting some tips here in response. Here's Jen's question:

"I ran 6 miles on the treadmill over 2 weeks ago (I know, it's just not cool to run long distances indoors, but I did). I got sick shortly after, and have not done a thing since. I've been tricking myself into thinking that I can't run because I have this lingering, awful cough and still need to "rest." How long do you usually take off after being sick? My 2nd question is, What do you wear when running outside? I always think it's too cold and I'll have trouble breathing. I think I'm wrong."

I struggle with the too-sick-to-run issue, too. I usually run even when I'm practically hacking up a lung, which I'm sure has prolonged many an illness. So I consulted Runner's World for advice. Check out the whole story here, but I'm digging the "neck rule" from David Nieman, Ph.D., who heads the Human Performance Laboratory at Appalachian State University: "Symptoms below the neck (chest cold, bronchial infection, body ache) require time off, while symptoms above the neck (runny nose, stuffiness, sneezing) don't pose a risk to runners continuing workouts." Nieman has run 58 marathons and ultras, so I'm sure he's practiced what he preaches.

As for how to dress in cold weather, if you're worried about it being too cold to breathe comfortably, try wearing a neck gaiter and covering your nose and mouth with it. Your breath will humidify the air, making it easier to breathe.

The best rule of thumb I've heard is to dress for a run as if it's 20 degrees warmer than it actually is.This morning, when I headed out for an 8-mile run (my longest of the week), my car's thermostat read 27 degrees. I wore: A pair of Brooks running tights; a Dri-Fit T-shirt and long-sleeved shirt made from similar material; an ancient North Face fleece; my fleece hat from the George Washington 10K Classic; and my Mizuno Breath Thermo gloves, made from some fancy material that actually heats up when you sweat. These are AMAZING if you're a sweatball like me.

Oh, and I don't think long-distance running on a treadmill is uncool – it's hard-core! It's easy to head out for a run on a balmy spring day or a chilly autumn one. It's what you do when it's in the 20s and icky that makes you a runner, whether that's treadmilling or braving the cold.

Check out several Runner's World stories about coping with the cold here. Also, stay tuned: I'm planning to ask some friends in the TRULY frosty north to share some of their own coping mechanisms.

California dreaming

Motivation today came in the form of an e-mail from a rock-star running friend who recently moved to Monterrey, Calif.

"I had to write you and let you know I've just had the best run!" my friend Sarah wrote. "I'm back! I'm a runner!"

What's she back from? Oh, from having two kids, one who was born in October.

It needs to be said that her hiatus from running hasn't been much of a hiatus. Sarah ran the Nashville Country Music Marathon with me (I use the term "with" loosely — I had miles to go by the time she finished) when Lily, her 3-year-old daughter, was barely walking. She ran a half marathon in Jacksonville while pregnant with Zack on a day so hot, she said she was practically hallucinating. I still use this as motivation during summer races, when I repeat to myself: "Channel Sarah. Run till you hallucinate." It's amazingly effective.

Sarah's loop included a couple of mile repeats on a nearby track and "breathtaking vistas of the Pacific." That's not available to most of us, but her playlist, and her rock-star state of mind, are.

"The playlist on my iPod included 'Stacey's Mom' -- or 'Lily's Mom,' as I like to sing it. This song give me hope as a mom. It also included 'So What' by Pink. I put this song on repeat and probably listened to it 7 or 8 times (not exaggerating). It's my favorite angry-woman power song: 'I am a rock star ... I've got my rock moves ...' "

Sarah's training for the Santa Cruz half marathon in April. Here's how she describes it:

"Santa Cruz is a laid back, surfy, college town about 40 minutes from us. In my head, I imagine all the 20-somethings walking around with their perfect Abercrombie bodies and wardrobes. I don't have huge expectations for this race, as far as a time goes. I'm using it as a starting place to denote my return to running post-baby."

On my run tomorrow, I intend to picture Sarah speeding past all the cute little Abercrombie-clad freshmen on her race toward feeling like her pre-baby self. I suggest anyone who's ever rebounded from anything do the same.

Running despite the wintry mix

I almost didn't go.

I had a big work day with little wiggle room for a leisurely run, and forecasts called for a "wintry mix," which usually means it's a good idea to stay inside. Plus, I'm staying with family friends in Annapolis, meaning I couldn't just go for my tried-and-true 30-minute loop at home. I really almost skipped. But then — and I apologize for going all Oprah on you again — I decided to make myself a priority in my day, and I headed out the door to drive to my intended route.

On my way there, it started to rain. Fabulous.

When I got to the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail, a rails-to-trails path that winds through gorgeous neighborhoods and thick forests, I knew I'd made the right call. I ran 25 minutes out and 25 minutes back on the trail, and I felt SO great! The cold felt refreshing rather than rude; my legs felt fresh after a cross-training day on Tuesday. And best of all, the whole time I was running, the rain was more like snow. Fabulous!

If Oprah can do it ...

I sat down on the recumbent bike this morning intending to peruse The Washington Post from cover to cover. My plans changed when I saw a stray O magazine sitting on the ledge of my apartment complex's gym.

Yes, that's O as in Oprah. This may seem like an unlikely source of motivation and competition for long-distance running, but me and O have a bit of a history.

A week before the 2007 Nashville Country Music Marathon, when my taper was almost complete and it was far too late to change anything about my training, I picked up the Runner's World Women's Guide to Running for some light reading and inspiration.

One chapter started by noting that Oprah had put in several 50-mile weeks before running her 4:20 marathon. This was supposed to be motivational for "regular" runners— if Oprah can do it, anyone can!

It was like I'd just been passed by the guy running in the Sponge Bob costume (which actually happened to me once, but that's another story). I never hit 50 miles in a week, and I will confess here that I did not beat Oprah's time. Oprah isn't the only reason I'm hoping to try another marathon later this year, but if I do find myself at the starting line of the Marine Corps Marathon this fall, I will most certainly be looking to beat her time.

The issue I tore through on the bike this morning was just as motivational, but for a different reason. It was all about getting back on the wagon. For Oprah, this meant curbing her recent weight gain, which she details in the magazine. But the underlying theme of forgetting about perfection, letting go of past mistakes and looking toward the future can apply to anyone struggling with any goal. I'm going to try to keep it in mind next time I slack off during a speed workout, skip a cross-training day or choose the chocolate cake rather than the strawberries for dessert.

Mixing things up on the treadmill

It was back to the treadmill for another speed workout today. "Speed workout" has become synonymous with "set of three 1-mile repeats" for me, and that's just what I did this morning.

I like the simplicity of doing one thing, three times, then being done. I also like the challenge of trying to run a whole mile as quickly as possible three times in a row (who can't run their fastest for a quarter-mile? It's over before you even get a chance to crank up the speed on the treadmill's control panel). I also like it because it's familiar. My training plan offers lots of interesting-looking options for speedwork, and I'm sure they're as much fun and as effective as my current go-to workout. But it's like trying something new at your favorite restaurant: The buffalo chicken sandwich is probably just as good as the veggie burger I order every time we go to the Quarry House, but WHAT IF IT'S NOT?

I'm still planning to order the veggie burger at Quarry House tonight. But next time I hit the treadmill, I'm gonna mix things up. I found a few good-looking treadmill speed workouts in Runner's World, and I think I'll try this one first:

The Broderick Crawford.

This workout gets its name from its "10-4" pattern, a familiar phrase to fans of the old Highway Patrol TV series. Begin by warming up for 10 minutes, then run for 10 minutes at your current 10-K race pace. Jog very easily for 4 minutes to recover, then surge again for 10 minutes at your 10-K tempo. Recover for 4 minutes, and complete the workout with 10 minutes of easy cool-down running.

First DC race day!

I started the day today with a musket shot from George Washington.

OK, it was more like a pop gun shot by a dude in a Revolutionary War costume, but it was a memorable way to start the morning -- and my first road race in the Washington area -- nonetheless.

The George Washington Classic 10K was a nice, flat route along Eisenhower Avenue and through a few local parks in Alexandria. We had perfect running weather, about 40 degrees and sunny, and got cool fleece running hats for our efforts, making the race worth the time before we even started.

All week, I've been puzzling over the right way to race a 10K. I'm typically about an 8:30-minute-mile girl for a 10K. But since Steve and I started doing group runs with Pacers, we've realized that this is also our pace for our everyday five-mile runs — hard, but conversational. Which suggests that perhaps my 10K pace should be faster.

I figured the solution was to pick up the pace a bit in this 10K.

Here's how it went down:
Ran the first mile in 7:30 (oops!)
Ran my best 5K time since high school, 24 minutes (ooh!)
Felt like I'd been hit by a truck by mile 5, and was passed by what looked like the majority of my age group, plus most of the master's age groups, too (ugh)
Still ran a better time than my usual, 51:31 according to my purple Timex. That's 8:18-minute-miles, which is ... faster than 8:30?

Not sure where this leaves me as far as my race strategy, or lack thereof. Does anyone know the right way to race a 10K? If so, please enlighten me by posting a comment.

***Editor's note: Shortly after writing this post, I looked up the race results and found this note on top:
"Today's event was measured at 6.4 miles. We sincerely apologize for the course error; pace has been calculated at 6.4 miles. -GW Birthday Classic Race Committee."
Oh, snap! My new pace? 8:07-minute miles! I also feel the need to give Steve a shout-out for running a 47:58, which meant he was doing super-human 7:30-minute miles.